This invention relates to a wall panel unit, such as for use in a bathroom or other area where the appearance of tiled walls is appropriate, generally outside the bath alcove, and particularly to vacuum formed wall panel units similar to those used for tub surrounds.
It is well known to provide tiled walls in bathrooms, and the appearance of these tiled walls has wide appeal. Commonly these tiles are square or have some other regular polygonal shape, with indented grout lines between adjacent tiles. To further decorate tiles such as these, it is known to apply individual decals to particular tiles, with the attendant expenditure of time. Application of wallpaper, though, to cover or decorate a number of tiles at once, is complicated by the indentations of the grout lines.
The concept of bathroom tub surrounds is also known, as evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,067,071; 4,228,552; 4,671,026; and 4,817,344. Each of these patents, however, shows that the tub surround includes large flat areas, not having the same appeal as that given by the appearance of tiles.
This invention relates to improvements over the apparatus described above and to solutions to the problems raised or not solved thereby.